Dalyan (Turquie) -Nanotechnology to protect rock tombs

Nanotechnology, which is the production and use of materials at the smallest possible scale, will be used to restore and protect ancient rock tombs in the Aegean province of Muğla. A project has been prepared and will be presented to TÜBITAK for the protection of tombs with this technology. It will be the first time nanotechnology will be used for protecting cultural assets in Turkey

The 2,400-year-old rock tombs in Dalyan in the Aegean province of Muğla’s Ortaca district is set to be protected through the use of nanotechnology.

Professor Cengiz Işık, head of excavations at the Kaunos archaeological site, said the idea to protect the rock tombs came up last year during the visit of Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay. It then led to the creation of the Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey, or TÜBITAK’s, Support Program for Research Projects of Public Institutions.

Işık said the project that has been prepared for protecting the rock tombs would be presented to TÜBITAK. “The project will be realized through nanotechnology. It will be the first time that nanotechnology is used for cultural assets. This practice on Kaunos's rock tombs will be an improvement for other cultural assets.”

Işık said when the project is carried out highly specialized powders consisting of nanoparticles will be applied to the rock surfaces in square-centimeter doses. The nanoparticles will be specially designed to be chemically compatible with the rocks and will be used to clean, restore and protect the surfaces of the rock tombs. “In this way, the tombs will be restored and protected.”

Işık said the embargo on visits to the rock-cut tombs in Dalyan was implemented as a result of their petitions in previous years. “The ban for visits still continues. There are large and small rocks in the sloped area. There is a constant risk that visitors might fall. Until the necessary precautions are taken, a ban is the right decision.”

Telmessos Ancient Theater will also be protected

Muğla Culture and Tourism Director Kamil Özer announced that work had also begun to protect Fethiye’s 5,000-person capacity Telmossos Ancient Theater, dating back to the early Roman era.

He said the relief, restoration and restitution projects were approved by the Protection Committee for Muğla Culture and Environmental Assets for the Telmessos Theater, where excavations were completed in 1994.

“Because the Telmessos Theater is located in the center of the city and on the sea coast, it receives too much interest from tourists visiting Fethiye. The necessary budget for its restoration will be provided this year,” Özer said.

Özer said 22 ruins, 12 excavations and five archaeology museums in the city contributed greatly to the town’s promotion. “We hope that the number of visitors to the ruins will increase in 2011. There are 12 ongoing excavations in the city at the moment; it will increase to 13 this year. We believe that the restoration projects revive ruins.”

In the meantime it has been announced that the Amnytas and Ion rock tombs in central Fethiye were also to be protected.

What is nanotechnology?

The mathematical definition of “nano” is one-billionth; so for example, a nanosecond is one-billionth of a second. Nanotechnology is the science of manufacturing and utilizing extremely small particles and devices, sometimes as small as single atoms and molecules. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, which is approximately 80,000 times thinner than a human hair.